Roland Barthes “Rhetoric of the Image” essay from Image – Music – Text, Translated by Stephen Heath. Hill and Wang, 1977. (excerpt)

  • How do images hold and convey meaning?
  • How do we understand them?
  • What are they trying to say?
  • How do they persuade and influence us?

Since we are visual beings. Images are used as a way to grab one’s attention and depending on the image our brains can process and tell what is in the image. We are able to tell what the object is and what it is doing. We were taught at a certain age what the object is known as and what it is used for. An example would be an apple, an apple is known as a fruit, you can eat it and cook it. 

How we use images to show an example, or to communicate an idea or message to the audience would be the subject(s) or object(s) that we know are used and we can identify it/them. The example from the excerpt used was the Panzani ad, it contains vegetables like onions and peppers and tomatoes, in a roped net with Pazani products. The viewer can tell that this is an advertisement of a brand.

Depending on the image and what it’s used for, it’s about giving a message to the viewer. We learned about objects and their significance. So when it’s used in an image we should be able to identify it. 

Just like I used the example of the Panzani brand, the tricolor hue used gives the viewer the idea that this is an Italian inspired brand. When the viewer looks at the image they can tell that it’s Italian because the stereotype used about Italians is that their dishes mostly contain vegetables like onions, tomatoes and peppers that are used often in popular Italian dishes . It also gives a sense of freshness or it shows how natural their food brand is. So people who are into Italian food or love natural produce, then seeing this brand can influence them to buy it.